Paper Hearts

Chapter 21

"Excuse me?"

Sakura was certain she had misheard. There wasn't a chance in a million years that the exclusive Sasuke Uchiha was voluntarily asking her to spend unnecessary quality time together. Having showered not long before, it was more likely that water had clogged her ears and obscured what Sasuke had actually said. The Uchiha male was not fond of repeating himself and slowly slid his gaze onto her face in a quiet, tense manner that instantly alerted her that he was annoyed. She shrunk back into the doorframe under that serious, unwavering stare, shrugging her shoulders for lack of a better response. This wasn't like Sasuke at all, and the sheer queerness of his behavior intrigued her enough to actually consider taking him up on the offer.

"Er… yeah. I mean, I guess I can put off my plans for a little while. Let me grab my shoes,"

Sakura slipped back inside and clicked the door shut. She paused for just a moment to run a hand through her damp locks, allowing the confusion to cloud her features as she struggled to comprehend what the hell was going on outside her doorstep.

'That was ungodly agonizing,'

The sight of Sakura disappearing behind her closed door brought a slight wave of relief over the male's toned shoulders, his posture relaxing just a hair as he let his eyelids fall like curtains. He had no idea what he was doing, and was certain he was making an ass of himself. It just might have been a mistake to come and collect the medic nin when he was clearly not ready to confront what had happened with Ino, and Naruto, and the two of them.

'If I had any more wit than Naruto, I'd leave now before-'

"I'm ready,"

Sakura appeared again, her expression less than enthusiastic as she moved to stand beside her comrade. She glanced at him but said nothing else, waiting for him to either speak or lead the way to whatever destination he had in mind. She pretended not to notice the way his eyes, blacker than night, scanned her up and down for just a second, as if taking in exactly how she looked. Despite the fact she was probably imagining such a thing, her cheeks flushed a pale shade of strawberry. Without saying a word, Sasuke motioned her forward with his chin before he began walking, his pace casual but deliberate.

'This is beyond awkward… not to mention if his little piglet sees us together, I'll never hear the end of it…'

Sakura clasped her hands behind her back and fell into pace beside him. She hadn't a clue where they were heading, or why. But, as she stifled a sigh behind her lips, she supposed it didn't really matter the destination or purpose. The two of them hadn't been on the best terms as of late, which would prove problematic later when Squad 7 got together for their next mission. It was bound to be difficult but the sooner they resolved this confusing, muddled mess of relationships the better off everyone would be.

"So… how about this weather? It's been crazy this year. Hardly any snow, but with all this rain turning on and off,"

Sakura swallowed back a groan; was she really going to try and talk to Sasuke about the weather? Apparently not, as Sasuke grunted inaudibly in reply and said nothing more on the topic. Uncomfortable silence seemed to win out this time. Her shoulders slumped as she followed her teammate into the village's main street, scanning her emerald orbs skywards to view the salt and pepper clouds that were scattered above. Would it rain yet again, or would it stay away for a little longer? It was impossible to tell lately.

'Something's wrong,'

She mused to herself, permitting her eyes the slightest askance glance to the Uchiha at her side. To any passerby, he may have seemed normal. His wide, firm hands were balled tightly in his pockets as he walked at a casual pace, thin locks of velvety ebony locks falling down into his field of vision. The expression on his face was as if carved from the coldest, hardest stone, as unreadable and apathetic as the Hokage heads towering over the village yonder.

But whether she wanted to admit it or not, she knew Sasuke well; after hundreds of missions spent fighting by his side she had come to read his mannerisms with ease. There was a slight twitch to his jaw as they walked together, and from the way his brows furrowed towards the bridge of his nose, she knew right away something was on his mind. That would explain why he asked her to walk with him; most likely he was working up the gusto to tell her what was wrong, although why he was so hesitant to do so was beyond her.

'If I could just break this tension that's between us...maybe he'd open up then?'

The streets were brimming with villagers mingling in huddles up and down the sidewalks. Kiosks offering a variety of homemade goods lined the street sides as children dashed through the gaps between crowds, chatter and laughter rising far above their heads in clouds of giddy elation. Sasuke seemed uninterested in the hustling activity and continued walking as if nothing was happening around him. A slight frown wedged its way upon her thin lips as Sakura gazed longingly at the stands, wishing they would stop to browse.

"Hey, Sasuke…"

She did a double take as they passed the nearest kiosk, an idea sparking inside her salmon colored head. Lost in troubled thoughts, Sasuke hadn't realized that Sakura spoke his name. He hadn't even noticed at first that she had stopped walking and was no longer at his side. Further down the street it began to dawn on him the emptiness beside him, the absence of Sakura's quiet, steady breathing.

"Where did-"

His eyes scanned for the pinkette as his stomach did a series of twists that made him inwardly cringe. Had she abandoned him because of the silence, or because he had called on her without warning? Or was it because she was still ticked off over the misunderstanding with Ino? Did Naruto spin her another lie, augmenting his entangled, undesired love life? She was a strong enough fighter to defend herself, but as unlikely as it was, his heart seemed to speed up at the possibility of someone snatching her when he wasn't looking. If Ino happened to see them out together, he wouldn't put it past her to take revenge on his teammate.

"HEY, Sasuke! WAIT UP, would you?!"

Sakura's voice called out to him from afar; at the sound of her feminine tone, Sasuke spun to face her, his eyes widening ever so slightly with the relief he refused to acknowledge. None-the-less, it was there, burning inside his rapidly pounding heart. The sight of her racing towards him, one hand clutched behind her back, safe and sound, brought with it the unmistakable feeling of reprieve. His worries mangled together in a tight ball and were expelled in the sigh that let loose from his lips as Sakura came to a stop in front of him, her form slightly bent over as she panted heavily.

"You left me there, baka!"

She accused him with a look of annoyance, her free hand resting on her hip. The other she still had hidden behind her, just out of sight.

"I didn't realize you had left,"

Sasuke frowned, eyeing the crook of her elbow. It was all he could see of what was hidden behind her back, though there was curiosity in his orbs. He wasn't a fan of surprises, preferring to be told of everything beforehand at all times. Sakura followed his gaze and smirked slightly, raising her hand from her hip to wave her index finger knowingly.

"I bet you're wondering what's behind my back!"

"Hn,"

"…ugh, forget it. Here,"

Sakura rolled her eyes before bringing her hand above her head and tossing the unknown object at his face. Sasuke's alabaster hand shot out to catch it inches from his face, the faintest flickers of surprise echoing across his face as he brought the item down for inspection. Clasped in the palm of his hand was a ripe, plump tomato.

"I swear that's the only thing I've ever heard you express the slightest fondness for,"

She shook her head but smiled slightly, pleased with the shock she could find in Sasuke's face.

"Well, are you just going to stand there with that look on your face, or are you going to eat it?"

Sasuke scowled back at her question and bit into his treat, the red juice dripping down his chin as he chewed quietly. He watched her as he snacked, unsure of why she had done such a thing. Aware of his unwavering gaze, Sakura pretended to gag at him, laughing afterwards to show she was only teasing him over his love for the disgusting habit of eating tomatoes raw.

"Why did you do this?"

Sasuke finally asked as the last chunk of tomato was swallowed. He wiped at his chin with the back of his hand. A yellow seed still clung to the corner of his mouth. Sakura stuck her tongue out at him and, before he could stop her, reached over and flicked the seed off of his face. He flinched from her touch and openly glowered in annoyance, to which Sakura tossed back her head and laughed.

"What, a girl can't buy her teammate a snack now and then? You could try thanking me instead, you know,"

She dropped her hand from his face, her words echoing between them as Sasuke fought desperately to keep his face blank despite the swirling emotions tightening his stomach. He could still feel the warmth of her fingertip pressing against the corner of his mouth as she brushed the seed away, could still hear the euphonic ringing of her laugher in the air, but he still couldn't figure out why any of that should matter to him. Ignoring once more the thumping of his heart, Sasuke adverted his eyes off to the side, refusing to look at Sakura directly as his bangs fell down over his eyes.

"…Thank you…Sakura,"

A/N: Jashin, it's taking me too long to update. I promise to work on that, and tried to make up for it with a longer chapter. I promise you'll be getting some fluff now as the end of the fanfic looms in the horizon. Please bear with me for just a little while longer!